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RECOGNIZING THE MEXICAN HOLIDAY OF CINCO DE MAYO;

HONORING SISTER DOROTHY STANG; RECOGNIZING THE

57TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE STATE

OF ISRAEL; URGING ROMANIA TO PROVIDE FAIR RESTITUTION FOR CONFISCATED PROPERTY; RECOGNIZING THE

STEPS INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE TAKEN TOWARD BILATERAL PEACE; URGING THE WITHDRAWAL OF ALL SYRIAN

FORCES FROM LEBANON; EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE

HOUSE REGARDING ANTI-SEMITISM AT THE UN; AND WELCOMING THE PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN ON THE OCCASION OF HIS VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES

MARKUP

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON 

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON

H. Con. Res. 44, H. Con. Res. 89, H. Con. Res. 149,

H. Res. 191, H. Res. 272, H. Res. 273,

H. Res. 282 and H. Con. Res. 153

MAY 18, 2005

Serial No. 109–105

Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations

(

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international—relations 

(II)

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 

HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman 

JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa 

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, 

Vice Chairman 

DAN BURTON, Indiana 

ELTON GALLEGLY, California 

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida 

DANA ROHRABACHER, California 

EDWARD R. ROYCE, California 

PETER T. KING, New York 

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio 

THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado 

RON PAUL, Texas 

DARRELL ISSA, California 

JEFF FLAKE, Arizona 

JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia 

MARK GREEN, Wisconsin 

JERRY WELLER, Illinois 

MIKE PENCE, Indiana 

THADDEUS G. MCCOTTER, Michigan 

KATHERINE HARRIS, Florida 

JOE WILSON, South Carolina 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

J. GRESHAM BARRETT, South Carolina 

CONNIE MACK, Florida 

JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska 

MICHAEL MCCAUL, Texas 

TED POE, Texas 

TOM LANTOS, California 

HOWARD L. BERMAN, California 

GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York 

ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American 

Samoa 

DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey 

ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey 

SHERROD BROWN, Ohio 

BRAD SHERMAN, California 

ROBERT WEXLER, Florida 

ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York 

WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts 

GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York 

BARBARA LEE, California 

JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York 

EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon 

SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada 

GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California 

ADAM B. SCHIFF, California 

DIANE E. WATSON, California 

ADAM SMITH, Washington 

BETTY MCCOLLUM, Minnesota 

BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky 

DENNIS A. CARDOZA, California 

THOMAS E. MOONEY, SR., Staff Director/General Counsel 

ROBERT R. KING, Democratic Staff Director 

DANIEL FREEMAN, Counsel/Parliamentarian 

JEAN CARROLL, Full Committee Hearing Coordinator 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page

MARKUP OF: 

H. Con. Res. 44, Recognizing the historical significance of the Mexican holiday 

of Cinco de Mayo .................................................................................................. 4

H. Con. Res. 89, Honoring the life of Sister Dorothy Stang ................................. 7

H. Con. Res. 149, Recognizing the 57th anniversary of the independence 

of the State of Israel ............................................................................................ 10

Amendment to H. Con. Res. 149 ......................................................................... 13

H. Res. 191, Urging the Government of Romania to recognize its responsibilities to provide equitable, prompt, and fair restitution to all religious communities for property confiscated by the former Communist government 

in Romania ........................................................................................................... 14

H. Res. 272, Recognizing the historic steps India and Pakistan have taken 

toward achieving bilateral peace ........................................................................ 20

H. Res. 273, Urging the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from Lebanon, support for free and fair democratic elections in Lebanon, and the development 

of democratic institutions and safeguards to foster sovereign democratic 

rule in Lebanon .................................................................................................... 24

Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 273 offered by the 

Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Representative in Congress from the 

State of Florida ................................................................................................. 28

H. Res. 282, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding 

manifestations of anti-Semitism by United Nations member states and 

urging action against anti-Semitism by United Nations officials, United 

Nations member states, and the Government of the United States, and 

for other purposes ................................................................................................ 32

H. Con. Res. 153, Welcoming His Excellency Hamid Karzai, the President 

of Afghanistan, on the occasion of his visit to the United States in May 

2005 and expressing support for a strong and enduring strategic partnership between the United States and Afghanistan ............................................. 38

(1)

RECOGNIZING THE MEXICAN HOLIDAY OF CINCO DE MAYO; 

HONORING SISTER DOROTHY STANG; RECOGNIZING THE 

57TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE 

STATE OF ISRAEL; URGING ROMANIA TO PROVIDE FAIR 

RESTITUTION FOR CONFISCATED PROPERTY; RECOGNIZING THE STEPS INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE TAKEN 

TOWARD BILATERAL PEACE; URGING THE WITHDRAWAL 

OF ALL SYRIAN FORCES FROM LEBANON; EXPRESSING 

THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING ANTI-SEMITISM 

AT THE UN; AND WELCOMING THE PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN ON THE OCCASION OF HIS VISIT TO THE 

UNITED STATES 

TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2005

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, 

Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:34 a.m., in room 

2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Henry J. Hyde [Chairman of the Committee] presiding. 

Chairman HYDE. The Committee will come to order. The business meeting of the Committee will come to order. We have a series 

of noncontroversial bills on the agenda. It is the intention of the 

Chair to consider these measures en bloc and, by unanimous consent, authorize the Chair to seek consideration of the bills under 

suspension of the rules. 

All Members are given leave to insert remarks on the measures 

into the record, should they choose to do so. 

The Chair now recognizes Mr. Lantos, the Ranking Democrat. 

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for giving me 

an opportunity to say a few words about the resolution relating to 

Lebanon. I support all of the resolutions, and I merely wish to 

make a statement indicating my future intention concerning this 

subject. 

The resolution before the Committee expresses Congress’ ongoing 

concern that the withdrawal of Syrian troops and the intelligence 

officials from Lebanon be verifiably complete, and that the Lebanese people be allowed to choose their own leaders freely and fairly. 

I commend my colleague and friend, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, for bringing these important issues before the Committee. 

I join with all of my colleagues in admiration of Lebanese people 

power, which defied the odds and succeeded in expelling all, or at 

least nearly all, of Syria’s uniformed forces. I welcome what we all 

hope will be a peaceful transition to sovereign democratic rule in 

Lebanon. 

2

The Lebanese people are scheduled to vote for the new Parliament on four consecutive Sundays beginning May 29th. This is 

an important and welcome step. It is nevertheless regrettable that 

they apparently will conduct their elections according to a law 

passed on the full Syrian occupation in the year 2000, which could 

stack the deck in favor of the pro-Syrian elements, particularly 

Hezbollah. We hope that the wisdom of the Lebanese people, displayed in vast numbers, will override the structural deficiencies of 

the law. 

I fully endorse this resolution’s advocacy of United States assistance to help Lebanon restore democratic rule, including the separation of powers, the rule of law, and the respect for fundamental 

freedoms. It is firmly in our interest to support this process, as the 

flourishing of democracy in Lebanon will no doubt have a multiplier effect throughout the region. 

Mr. Chairman, Syrian withdrawal and the restoration of democracy in Lebanon absorbs our attention at the moment, but we must 

not forget that it is also vital that the new government in Lebanon 

fulfill all of its own obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1559, that especially includes the requirement that all militias, including Hezbollah, be disarmed and disbanded and that the 

Government of Lebanon assert its authority over all of Lebanon’s 

territory. We will expect the Lebanese armed forces, as a first step, 

to put an immediate halt to the flow of arms across the Syrian border to Hezbollah. 

Mr. Chairman, as you know, I sponsored legislation passed by 

Congress 4 years ago with your support, which made a portion of 

United States aid to Lebanon contingent upon Lebanon’s taking 

control of all of its borders. I do not intend to introduce a similar 

resolution at this moment, as I am hopeful that the new Lebanese 

Government, once it gains its footing, will take the necessary actions to demonstrate its adherence to all aspects of UN Security 

Council Resolution 1559, the resolution that made possible Lebanon’s rebirth as a nation. 

But I will remain seized with these issues regarding Lebanon’s 

borders and Hezbollah. In the near future, I will introduce a resolution that I hope will demonstrate that this Committee and this 

Congress share these concerns. The stability of the entire region 

depends on an end to militia rule in Lebanon and full implementation of Lebanese sovereignty throughout that country on all of its 

borders. 

The resolution before us focuses on certain crucial ingredients of 

Lebanese sovereignty, the withdrawal of Syrian troops and the 

holding of free and fair elections. It is an important resolution. I 

support it, and I urge all of my colleagues to do likewise. 

I thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman HYDE. Thank you, Mr. Lantos. 

Without objection, the Chairman is authorized to seek consideration that the following measures under suspension of the rules 

and the amendments, which the Members have before them, will 

be deemed adopted: 

H. Con. Res. 44, Recognizing the historical significance of the 

Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo; H. Con. Res. 89, Honoring the 

life of Sister Dorothy Stang; H. Con. Res. 149, Recognizing the 57th 

3

anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel, as amended; 

H. Res. 191, Urging the Government of Romania to recognize its 

responsibilities to provide equitable, prompt, and fair restitution to 

all religious communities for property confiscated by the former 

Communist government of Romania; H. Res. 272, Recognizing the 

historic steps India and Pakistan have taken toward achieving bilateral peace; H. Res. 273, Urging the withdrawal of all Syrian 

forces from Lebanon, support for free and fair democratic elections 

in Lebanon, and the development of democratic institutions and 

safeguards to foster sovereign democratic rule in Lebanon, as 

amended; H. Res. 282, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding anti-Semitism at the United Nations and for 

other purposes; and H. Con. Res. 153, Welcoming His Excellency 

Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, on the occasion of his 

visit to the United States in May 2005 and expressing support for 

a strong and enduring strategic partnership between the United 

States and Afghanistan. 

[The information referred to follows:]

4

1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 44

Recognizing the historical significance of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de

Mayo.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 2, 2005

Mr. BACA (for himself, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr.

GRIJALVA, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HINOJOSA, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. LANTOS, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. OWENS,

Ms. LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. UDALL of New

Mexico, Ms. LEE, and Mr. PASTOR) submitted the following concurrent

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Recognizing the historical significance of the Mexican holiday

of Cinco de Mayo.

Whereas May 5, or Cinco de Mayo in Spanish, is celebrated

each year as a date of great importance by the Mexican

and Mexican-American communities;

Whereas the Cinco de Mayo holiday commemorates May 5,

1862, the date on which the Battle of Puebla was fought

by Mexicans who were struggling for their independence

and freedom;

Whereas Cinco de Mayo has become one of Mexico’s most famous national holidays and is celebrated annually by


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•HCON 44 IH

nearly all Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, north and

south of the United States-Mexico border;

Whereas the Battle of Puebla was but one of the many battles that the courageous Mexican people won in their long

and brave struggle for independence and freedom;

Whereas the French, confident that their battle-seasoned

troops were far superior to the almost amateurish Mexican forces, expected little or no opposition from the Mexican army;

Whereas the French army, which had not experienced defeat

against any of Europe’s finest troops in over half a century, sustained a disastrous loss at the hands of an outnumbered, ill-equipped, and ragged, but highly spirited

and courageous, Mexican force;

Whereas after three bloody assaults upon Puebla in which

over a thousand gallant Frenchmen lost their lives, the

French troops were finally defeated and driven back by

the outnumbered Mexican troops;

Whereas the courageous and heroic spirit that Mexican General Zaragoza and his men displayed during this historic

battle can never be forgotten;

Whereas many brave Mexicans willingly gave their lives for

the causes of justice and freedom in the Battle of Puebla

on Cinco de Mayo;

Whereas the sacrifice of the Mexican fighters was instrumental in keeping Mexico from falling under European

domination;

Whereas the Cinco de Mayo holiday is not only the commemoration of the rout of the French troops at the town

of Puebla in Mexico, but is also a celebration of the virtues of individual courage and patriotism of all Mexicans


21306a.AAC
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3

•HCON 44 IH

and Mexican-Americans who have fought for freedom and

independence against foreign aggressors;

Whereas Cinco de Mayo serves as a reminder that the foundation of the United States is built by people from many

nations and diverse cultures who are willing to fight and

die for freedom;

Whereas Cinco de Mayo also serves as a reminder of the close

spiritual and economic ties between the people of Mexico

and the people of the United States, and is especially important for the people of the southwestern States where

millions of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans make their

homes;

Whereas in a larger sense Cinco de Mayo symbolizes the right

of a free people to self-determination, just as Benito

Juarez once said, ‘‘El respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz’’

(‘‘The respect of other people’s rights is peace’’); and

Whereas many people celebrate during the entire week in

which Cinco de Mayo falls: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That Congress recognizes the historical strug3 gle for independence and freedom of the Mexican people

4 and requests the President to issue a proclamation recog5 nizing that struggle and calling upon the people of the

6 United States to observe Cinco de Mayo with appropriate

7 ceremonies and activities.

Æ


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1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 89

Honoring the life of Sister Dorothy Stang.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 9, 2005

Mr. RYAN of Ohio (for himself, Mr. TURNER, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. FORD, Mr.

GRIJALVA, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. TOWNS, Mr.

KUCINICH, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. TIBERI,

Mr. LANTOS, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. WELDON

of Pennsylvania, Mr. EVANS, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. PAYNE, Mr.

BROWN of Ohio, Ms. KAPTUR, and Mr. STRICKLAND) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Honoring the life of Sister Dorothy Stang.

Whereas Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Dorothy Stang,

moved to the Amazon 22 years ago to help poor farmers

build independent futures for their families, and was

murdered on Saturday, February 12, 2005, at the age of

73, in Anapu, Para, a section of Brazil’s Amazon rain

forest;

Whereas, a citizen of Brazil and the United States, Sister

Dorothy worked with the Pastoral Land Commission, an

organization of the Catholic Church that fights for the


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•HCON 89 IH

rights of rural workers and peasants, and defends land

reforms in Brazil;

Whereas her death came less than a week after meeting with

the human rights officials of Brazil about threats to local

farmers from some loggers and landowners;

Whereas, after receiving several death threats, Sister Dorothy

recently commented, ‘‘I don’t want to flee, nor do I want

to abandon the battle of these farmers who live without

any protection in the forest. They have the sacrosanct

right to aspire to a better life on land where they can live

and work with dignity while respecting the environment.’’;

Whereas Sister Dorothy was born in Dayton, Ohio, entered

the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur community in

1948, and professed final vows in 1956;

Whereas, from 1951 to 1966, Sister Dorothy taught elementary classes at St. Victor School in Calumet City, Illinois,

St. Alexander School in Villa Park, Illinois, and Most

Holy Trinity School in Phoenix, Arizona, and began her

ministry in Brazil in 1966, in Coroata in the state of

Maranhao;

Whereas, last June, Sister Dorothy was named ‘‘Woman of

the Year’’ by the state of Para for her work in the Amazon region, in December 2004, she received the Humanitarian of the Year award from the Brazilian Bar Association for her work helping the local rural workers, and

earlier this year, she received an ‘‘Honorary Citizenship

of the State’’ award from the state of Para; and

Whereas Sister Dorothy lived her life according to the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame: making known God’s

goodness and love of the poor through a Gospel way of


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•HCON 89 IH

life, community, and prayer, while continuing a strong

educational tradition and taking a stand with the poor

people especially women and children, in the most abandoned places, and committing her one and only life to

work with others to create justice and peace for all: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress hereby honors the life and

3 work of Sister Dorothy Stang.

Æ


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1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 149

Recognizing the 57th anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 11, 2005

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina (for himself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. CANTOR, Mr. PENCE, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr.

HASTINGS of Florida, and Mr. LANTOS) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Recognizing the 57th anniversary of the independence of

the State of Israel.

Whereas on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established as a sovereign and independent nation;

Whereas the United States was one of the first nations to

recognize Israel, only 11 minutes after its creation;

Whereas Israel has provided the opportunity for Jews from

all over the world to reestablish their ancient homeland;

Whereas Israel is home to many religious sites which are sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam;

Whereas Israel provided a refuge to Jews who survived the

horrors of the Holocaust and the evils committed by the

Nazis which were unprecedented in human history;


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•HCON 149 IH

Whereas the people of Israel have established a unique, pluralistic democracy which includes the freedoms cherished

by the people of the United States, including freedom of

speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, freedom of the press, and government by the consent of the

governed;

Whereas Israel continues to serve as a shining model of

democratic values by regularly holding free and fair elections, promoting the free exchange of ideas, and vigorously exercising in its Parliament, the Knesset, a democratic government that is fully representative of its citizens;

Whereas Israel has bravely defended itself from attacks repeatedly since independence;

Whereas the Government of Israel has successfully worked

with the neighboring Governments of Egypt and Jordan

to establish peaceful, bilateral relations;

Whereas, despite the deaths of over one thousand innocent

Israelis at the hands of murderous, suicide bombers and

other terrorists during the past 4 years, the people of

Israel continue to seek peace with their Palestinian

neighbors;

Whereas the United States and Israel enjoy a strategic partnership based on shared mutual democratic values,

friendship, and respect;

Whereas the people of the United States share affinity with

the people of Israel and view Israel as a strong and trusted ally;

Whereas Israel has made significant global contributions in

the fields of science, medicine, and technology; and


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•HCON 149 IH

Whereas Israel’s Independence Day on the Jewish calendar

coincides this year with May 12, 2005: Now, therefore,

be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That Congress—

3 (1) recognizes the independence of the State of

4 Israel as a significant event in providing refuge and

5 a national homeland for the Jewish people;

6 (2) praises the efforts of President George W.

7 Bush and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to create the

8 conditions for peace in the Middle East;

9 (3) commends the bipartisan commitment of all

10 United States administrations and United States

11 Congresses since 1948 to stand by Israel and work

12 for its security and well-being; and

13 (4) extends warm congratulations and best

14 wishes to the people of Israel as they celebrate the

15 57th anniversary of Israel’s independence.

Æ


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1

H.L.C.

AMENDMENT TO H. CON. RES. 149

OFFERED BY Ml. llllll

In the first clause of the preamble, strike ‘‘on May

14, 1948,’’ and insert ‘‘in May 1948’’.

In the 12th clause of the preamble, add ‘‘and’’ at

the end after the semicolon.

In the 13th clause of the preamble, strike ‘‘; and’’

and insert ‘‘: Now, therefore, be it’’.

Strike the 14th clause of the preamble.


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1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 191

Urging the Government of Romania to recognize its responsibilities to provide

equitable, prompt, and fair restitution to all religious communities for

property confiscated by the former Communist government in Romania.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 6, 2005

Mr. LANTOS (for himself and Mr. TANCREDO) submitted the following

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Urging the Government of Romania to recognize its responsibilities to provide equitable, prompt, and fair restitution

to all religious communities for property confiscated by

the former Communist government in Romania.

Whereas the establishment of a Communist government in

Romania after World War II proved disastrous for established religious institutions;

Whereas a central element of persecution by the Communist

government in Romania was the uncompensated confiscation of real and personal property from religious communities and from leaders of religious communities, and the

arrest and persecution of religious leaders;

Whereas 2,140 schools, hospitals, orphanages, and other

charitable and civic institutions were illegally confiscated


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•HRES 191 IH

under communism from the four historic Hungarian

churches (Roman Catholic, Hungarian Reformed, Evangelical Lutheran, and Unitarian) and actual possession

and use of such properties has been denied in all but 30

cases;

Whereas Romania’s wartime Fascist government began the

process of confiscating Jewish property in September

1940 and its postwar Communist government reaffirmed

most of these confiscations;

Whereas only a handful of Jewish communal properties have

been restituted, often with government agencies still

using the facilities and paying no rent, and over 1,000

communal properties remain in the possession of the

Government of Romania;

Whereas some Jewish claims have been willfully ignored for

years, such as in the case of agricultural land in Iasi,

where municipal authorities continue to sells parcels of

this land;

Whereas on January 2, 1990, under terms of Decree-Law

126/1990, the 1948 decree which dissolved the Romanian

Greek Catholic Church was abrogated, permitting Greek

Catholics again to worship openly, and legal provisions

and procedures were established for the return of confiscated properties that before 1948 belonged to the

Greek Catholic Church;

Whereas the commission established under Decree-Law 126/

1990 composed of representatives of the Romanian Government and Greek Catholic Church has proven ineffective in resolving disputed claims;

Whereas Romanian Law No. 501/2002, providing for the restitution of religious properties, was adopted in June 2002


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•HRES 191 IH

without consultation with the affected religious communities, does not effectively meet the needs of those communities, contains numerous legal deficiencies, and is delayed in its implementation;

Whereas all of the religious communities have demanded the

return of property seized by the Romanian Communist

government;

Whereas since 1990, post-Communist countries in Central

and Eastern Europe have grappled with the question of

how to redress these wrongful confiscations of religious

property, but Romania has lagged significantly behind

other post-Communist countries;

Whereas since the early 1990s, the United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe has monitored the property restitution and compensation efforts

being made by the governments of post-Communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe;

Whereas with respect to the role of the Romanian courts in

the restitution process, the Chairman of the United

States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe observed: ‘‘In the mid-1990s . . . hundreds of court

decisions in favor of property claimants were reversed by

the Supreme Court after they had become final and irrevocable judgments. The European Court of Human Rights

has recently ruled that these actions violated the European Convention on Human Rights.’’; and

Whereas Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights provides that ‘‘[e]veryone has the right to freedom

of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes

freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or


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•HRES 191 IH

private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching,

practice, worship and observance.’’: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) notes with concern the unwillingness of past

3 governments of Romania to recognize the responsi4 bility to provide equitable, prompt, and fair restitu5 tion of religious property that was confiscated by the

6 former Communist government of Romania;

7 (2) calls on the Government of Romania—

8 (A) to respect the constitutional rights of

9 existence and practice of all religious commu10 nities to celebrate and practice their own reli11 gion in respectable locations, the right to propa12 gate the given beliefs, and the right to openly

13 communicate the beliefs and laws of the reli14 gion;

15 (B) to provide fair, prompt, and equitable

16 restitution to all religious communities under

17 Romanian law and in accordance with the Con18 stitution of Romania and all applicable inter19 national agreements to which Romania is a

20 party; and

21 (C) to provide restitution for the property

22 rights of all agricultural and forestry lands be23 longing to religious communities;


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•HRES 191 IH

1 (3) calls upon the Government of Romania to

2 amend Decree-Law 126/1990 to require that claims

3 involving Romanian Greek Catholic properties be

4 heard by an independent, disinterested, nonreligious

5 commission, and calls upon the Government of Ro6 mania to prevent the demolition of Greek Catholic

7 churches and to provide immediately for the security

8 of all Greek Catholic churches and other religious

9 buildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries;

10 and

11 (4) with respect to Romanian Law No. 501/

12 2002, calls upon the Government of Romania—

13 (A) to amend the law to reflect the prin14 ciple of ‘‘restitution in integrum’’ as urged by

15 Resolution 1123/1997 of the Parliamentary As16 sembly of the Council of Europe and to restore

17 full ownership of all property and all rights

18 emanating from such ownership;

19 (B) to amend the law to reduce the five20 year period to one year during which public in21 stitutions can continue to occupy confiscated re22 ligious properties;

23 (C) to amend the law to include compensa24 tion, according to an equitable formula, for de25 molished religious properties;


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•HRES 191 IH

1 (D) to increase to fair market value the

2 amount of rent paid to religious communities

3 for properties of which they cannot immediately

4 regain use under law;

5 (E) to eliminate the practice of requiring

6 monetary compensation from religious commu7 nities to cover state costs for maintenance and

8 ‘‘improvement’’ of the buildings since their con9 fiscation in the 1940s; and

10 (F) to obligate local government officials,

11 bodies, and agencies to provide all necessary

12 documentation and cooperation to facilitate the

13 implementation of decisions issued by the cen14 tral government’s Special Restitution Com15 mittee and to cease posing court challenges and

16 other obstacles against such implementation.

Æ


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IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 272

Recognizing the historic steps India and Pakistan have taken toward achieving

bilateral peace.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 11, 2005

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas (for herself, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. BERKLEY, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. SHIMKUS,

Mr. WELDON of Florida, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Ms. NORTON, Mr.

HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Ms.

LEE, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. WYNN, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr.

MEEKS of New York, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. STUPAK, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. SERRANO, and Mr. PAYNE) submitted the following resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the historic steps India and Pakistan have taken

toward achieving bilateral peace.

Whereas the Republic of India achieved its independence

from the British Empire on August 15, 1947, is home to

some of the most ancient civilizations, and has given

birth to four major world religions;

Whereas on August 14, 1947, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was created and is home to many of the significant

sites of the 4,500-year old Indus Valley Civilization;


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•HRES 272 IH

Whereas in April 2003 former Indian Prime Minister Atal

Behari Vajpayee offered the ‘‘hand of friendship’’ to

Pakistan in a landmark address made in the State of

Jammu and Kashmir;

Whereas in February 2004 India and Pakistan began their

first formal talks in nearly three years, the talks held in

Islamabad, Pakistan, paved the way for full peace talks;

Whereas in June 2004 India and Pakistan reaffirmed their

unilateral moratorium on nuclear weapons tests and set

up a hotline to alert each other to potential nuclear risks;

Whereas in September 2004 Indian Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh and Pakistan’s President Pervez

Musharraf met for talks in New York on the occasion of

the United Nations General Assembly and at the conclusion of these talks they issued a joint statement in which

they agreed that on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir

‘‘possible options for a peaceful, negotiated settlement of

the issue should be explored’’;

Whereas in April 2005 India and Pakistan launched a landmark bus service across the Line of Control in Jammu

and Kashmir, the ‘‘peace bus’’ allowing families divided

by the Line of Control to be reunited for the first time

in nearly 60 years;

Whereas on April 18, 2005, India and Pakistan concluded a

historic three day summit in India in which Prime Minister Singh and President Musharraf held meaningful

talks on all issues, including the issue of Jammu and

Kashmir, and came to a series of agreements to boost

trade and cross-border travel;

Whereas ‘‘in this spirit the two leaders addressed the issue

of Jammu and Kashmir and agreed to continue these disVerDate Mar 21 2002 13:46 Jan 20, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\FULL\051805M\21306.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

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•HRES 272 IH

cussions in a sincere and purposeful and forward looking

manner for a final settlement’’ and ‘‘they were satisfied

with the discussions and expressed their determination to

work together to carry forward the process and to bring

the benefit of peace to their people’’ as stated by the

joint statement signed by Prime Minister Singh and

President Musharraf;

Whereas both leaders ‘‘condemned attempts to disrupt the

Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and welcomed its successful operationalisation’’ and ‘‘pledged that they would

not allow terrorism to impede the peace process’’;

Whereas both leaders ‘‘decided to increase the frequency of

the bus service and also decided that trucks would be allowed to use this route to promote trade’’ and ‘‘also

agreed to operationalise additional routes including that

between Poonch and Rawalakot’’ and ‘‘look forward to

early start of the bus service between Amritsar and Lahore and to religious places such as Nankana Sahib’’ and

‘‘agreed to re-establish the Khokhrapar-Munnabao route

by 1st January 2006’’; and

Whereas at the conclusion of the most recent talks Prime

Minister Singh and President Musharraf declared in their

joint statement that they were ‘‘conscious of the historic

opportunity created by the improved environment in relations and the overwhelming desire of the peoples of the

two countries for durable peace and recognizing their responsibility to continue to move forward towards that objective, the two leaders had substantive talks on all

issues’’ and ‘‘they determined that the peace process was

now irreversible’’: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved,


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•HRES 272 IH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘India-Pakistan

3 Peace Resolution’’.

4 SEC. 2. RECOGNIZING INDIA AND PAKISTAN.

5 The House of Representatives—

6 (1) congratulates India and Pakistan on taking

7 monumental steps toward achieving a comprehensive

8 peace agreement;

9 (2) applauds Prime Minister Singh and Presi10 dent Musharraf for their leadership in bringing their

11 two nations together; and

12 (3) calls upon both India and Pakistan to con13 tinue down this path of peace so that their children

14 may realize a harmonious future.

Æ


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1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 273

Urging the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from Lebanon, support for free

and fair democratic elections in Lebanon, and the development of democratic institutions and safeguards to foster sovereign democratic rule

in Lebanon.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 11, 2005

Mr. MCCOTTER (for himself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. COX, Mr.

BURTON of Indiana, and Mr. SCHWARZ of Michigan) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International

Relations

RESOLUTION

Urging the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from Lebanon,

support for free and fair democratic elections in Lebanon, and the development of democratic institutions and

safeguards to foster sovereign democratic rule in Lebanon.

Whereas the people of the Lebanese Republic have a rich,

proud, and honorable history dating from ancient times

to the present, and Lebanon has been a free and democratic nation for much of its modern history;

Whereas Lebanon and the United States have enjoyed a history of friendship and cooperation which has been witnessed by the immigration of millions of Lebanese to the


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•HRES 273 IH

United States where they and their descendants have

contributed greatly to the fabric of American life;

Whereas Syria has dominated Lebanese politics and political

leaders, resulting in a deterioration of Lebanon’s human

rights situation, the engineering of Lebanese election results to Syria’s liking, and the imposition of curbs on

Lebanon’s media, once the freest in the Arab world;

Whereas Syria has publicly withdrawn its military forces

from Lebanon, leaving behind a pro-Syrian intelligence

structure within the Lebanese intelligence agencies;

Whereas Congress conditioned the lifting of sanctions on Damascus in the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 (Public Law 108–175)

upon the Government of Syria ending its occupation of

Lebanon, including the complete withdrawal of intelligence and all other security-related personnel in Lebanon, and upon other factors;

Whereas the international community has reaffirmed its call

for the strict respect of Lebanon’s sovereignty, territorial

integrity, unity, and political independence under the sole

and exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon

through the passage of United Nations Security Council

Resolution 1559 (2004);

Whereas there remains unresolved and as a matter of national and world concern the assassination of Rafiq alHariri, former Lebanese prime minister, which has justly

been condemned as a terrorist act;

Whereas the international community has begun investigations into the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri and it is

the policy of the United States to urge full compliance

with the investigations;


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3

•HRES 273 IH

Whereas the international community is considering further

action to promote Lebanese sovereignty;

Whereas the emancipation of political prisoners and detainees

held in Syrian and Lebanese prisons is a requirement to

a national reconciliation and rebuilding of Lebanon’s

democratic institutions; and

Whereas general elections in Lebanon are scheduled to begin

on May 29, 2005: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) Syria should complete its withdrawal of all

4 remaining intelligence and security forces from the

5 Lebanese Republic in accordance with United Na6 tions Security Council Resolution 1559 (2004);

7 (2) Lebanon should allow unfettered access to

8 international monitors verifying compliance with

9 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559

10 (2004);

11 (3) Lebanon should hold free, fair, and trans12 parent elections to begin on May 29, 2005, in ac13 cordance with all international standards and agree14 ments;

15 (4) the United States should aid the people of

16 Lebanon in their efforts to restore the separation of

17 powers, the rule of law, and the proper respect for

18 fundamental freedoms of every citizen; and


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4

•HRES 273 IH

1 (5) it should be the policy of the United States

2 Government to—

3 (A) support free and fair elections in Leb4 anon by encouraging international election as5 sistance and observers;

6 (B) urge the development of democratic in7 stitutions and safeguards to foster sovereign

8 democratic rule in Lebanon; and

9 (C) call for the immediate release of all po10 litical prisoners and detainees held in Lebanese

11 and Syrian prisons.

Æ


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1

H.L.C.

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

TO H. RES. 273

OFFERED BY MS. ROS-LEHTINEN

Strike the preamble and insert the following:

Whereas the people of the Lebanese Republic have a rich,

proud, and honorable history dating from ancient times

to the present;

Whereas Lebanon and the United States have enjoyed a history of friendship and cooperation which has been

marked by the immigration of many Lebanese to the

United States where they and their descendants have

contributed greatly to the fabric of American life;

Whereas Syria has dominated the Lebanese political scene,

resulting in a deterioration of Lebanon’s human rights

situation, the manipulation of Lebanese election results

to meet Syria’s requirements, and the imposition of curbs

on Lebanon’s media, once the freest in the Arab world;

Whereas Syria has publicly withdrawn its military forces

from Lebanon, leaving behind, however, an intelligence

structure;

Whereas Congress conditioned the lifting of sanctions on Damascus in the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 (Public Law 108–175)

upon the Government of Syria ending its occupation of

Lebanon (including the complete withdrawal of intelligence and all other security-related personnel in Lebanon) and upon other factors;

Whereas the international community has, through the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559


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2

H.L.C.

(2004), reaffirmed its call for the strict respect of Lebanon’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political independence under the sole and exclusive authority

of the Government of Lebanon;

Whereas there remains unresolved and as a matter of national and world concern the assassination of Rafiq alHariri, former Lebanese prime minister, which has justly

been condemned as a terrorist act;

Whereas the international community has begun investigations into the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri and it is

the policy of the United States to urge full cooperation

with the investigations;

Whereas the international community is considering further

action to promote Lebanese sovereignty;

Whereas the emancipation of political prisoners and detainees

held in Syrian and Lebanese prisons is a precondition for

national reconciliation and a rebuilding of Lebanon’s

democratic institutions; and

Whereas general elections in Lebanon are scheduled to begin

on May 29, 2005: Now, therefore, be it

Strike all after the resolving clause and insert

the following:

1 That it is the sense of the House of Representatives

2 that—

3 (1) Syria should complete its withdrawal of all

4 remaining intelligence and security forces from the

5 Lebanese Republic in accordance with United Na6 tions Security Council Resolution 1559 (2004);


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3

H.L.C.

1 (2) Lebanon should allow unfettered access to

2 international monitors present for the purpose of

3 verifying compliance with United Nations Security

4 Council Resolution 1559 (2004);

5 (3) Lebanon should hold free, fair, and trans6 parent elections to begin on May 29, 2005, in ac7 cordance with all international standards and agree8 ments;

9 (4) the United States should aid the people of

10 Lebanon in their efforts to restore the separation of

11 powers, the rule of law, and a proper respect for

12 fundamental freedoms of every citizen; and

13 (5) it should be the policy of the United States

14 Government to—

15 (A) support free and fair elections in Leb16 anon by encouraging international election as17 sistance and observers;

18 (B) support a national dialogue that tran19 scends sectarian divisions and urge the develop20 ment of democratic institutions and safeguards

21 to foster sovereign democratic rule in Lebanon;

22 and

23 (C) call for the immediate release of all po24 litical prisoners and detainees held in Lebanese

25 and Syrian prisons.


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4

H.L.C.

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘Resolution recognizing the courageous efforts of the people of Lebanon to restore their independence and urging the

withdrawal of all Syrian forces from Lebanon, the

support for free and fair democratic elections in

Lebanon, and the development of democratic institutions and safeguards to foster sovereign democratic

rule in Lebanon.’’.


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2

H.L.C.

ily is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the

world’’;

Whereas United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379

(1975) concluded that ‘‘Zionism is a form of racism and

racial discrimination’’ and the General Assembly, by a

vote of 111 to 25, only revoked Resolution 3379 in 1991

‘‘in response to strong leadership by the United States

and after Israel made its participation in the Madrid

Peace Conference conditional upon repeal of the resolution’’;

Whereas during the 1991 session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the Syrian Ambassador to the

United Nations repeated the outrageous ‘‘blood libel’’

that Jews allegedly have killed non-Jewish children to

make unleavened bread for Passover and, despite repeated interventions by the Governments of Israel and

the United States, this outrageous lie was not corrected

in the record of the Commission for many months;

Whereas in March 1997, the Palestinian observer at the

United Nations Commission on Human Rights made the

contemptible charge that the Government of Israel had

injected 300 Palestinian children with HIV (the human

immunodeficiency virus, the pathogen that causes AIDS)

despite the fact that an Egyptian newspaper had printed

a full retraction to its earlier report of the same charges,

and the President of the Commission failed to challenge

this baseless and false accusation despite the request of

the Government of Israel that he do so;

Whereas Israel was denied membership in any regional

grouping of the United Nations until the year 2000,

which prevented it from being a candidate for any elected

positions within the United Nations system until that


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3

H.L.C.

time, and Israel continues to be denied the opportunity

to hold a rotating seat on the Security Council and it is

the only member of the United Nations never to have

served on the Security Council although it has been a

member of the organization for 56 years;

Whereas Israel continues to be denied the opportunity to

serve as a member of the United Nations Commission on

Human Rights because it has never been included in a

slate of candidates submitted by a regional grouping, and

Israel is currently the only member of the Western and

Others Group in a conditional status limiting its ability

to caucus with its fellow members of this regional grouping;

Whereas the United Nations has permitted itself to be used

as a battleground for political warfare against Israel led

by Arab states and others, and 6 of the 10 emergency

sessions of the United Nations General Assembly have

been devoted to criticisms of and attacks against Israel;

Whereas the goals of the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism were undermined by hateful antiJewish rhetoric and anti-Israel political agendas, prompting both Israel and the United States to withdraw their

delegations from the Conference;

Whereas in 2004, the United Nations Secretary General acknowledged at the first United Nations-sponsored conference on anti-Semitism, that: ‘‘It is clear that we are

witnessing an alarming resurgence of this phenomenon in

new forms and manifestations. This time, the world must

not—cannot—be silent.’’;

Whereas in 2004, the United Nations General Assembly’s

Third Committee for the first time adopted a resolution


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4

H.L.C.

on religious tolerance that includes condemnation of antiSemitism and ‘‘recognized with deep concern the overall

rise in instances of intolerance and violence directed

against members of many religious communities . . . including . . . anti-Semitism . . . ’’;

Whereas in 2005, the United Nations held an unprecedented

session to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp;

Whereas democratic Israel is annually the object of nearly

two dozen redundantly critical resolutions in the United

Nations General Assembly, which rarely adopts resolutions relating to specific countries; and

Whereas the viciousness with which Israel is attacked and

discriminated against at the United Nations should not

be allowed to continue unchallenged: Now, therefore, be

it

1 Resolved, That—

2 (1) the House of Representatives—

3 (A) welcomes recent attempts by the

4 United Nations Secretary General to address

5 the issue of anti-Semitism;

6 (B) calls on the United Nations to offi7 cially and publicly condemn anti-Semitic state8 ments made at all United Nations meetings and

9 hold accountable United Nations member states

10 that make such statements; and

11 (C) strongly urges the United Nations

12 Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizaVerDate Mar 21 2002 13:46 Jan 20, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\FULL\051805M\21306.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

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H.L.C.

1 tion (UNESCO) to develop and implement edu2 cation awareness programs about the Holocaust

3 throughout the world as part of an effort to

4 combat the rise in anti-Semitism and racial, re5 ligious, and ethnic intolerance; and

6 (2) it is the sense of the House of Representa7 tives that—

8 (A) the President should direct the United

9 States Permanent Representative to the United

10 Nations to continue working toward further re11 duction of anti-Semitic language and anti-Israel

12 resolutions;

13 (B) the President should direct the Sec14 retary of State to include in the Department of

15 State’s annual Country Reports on Human

16 Rights Practices and annual Report on Inter17 national Religious Freedom information on ac18 tivities at the United Nations and its con19 stituent bodies relating to anti-Semitism by

20 each of the countries included in these reports;

21 and

22 (C) the President should direct the Sec23 retary of State to use projects funded through

24 the Middle East Partnership Initiative and

25 United States overseas broadcasts to educate


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6

H.L.C.

1 Arab and Muslim countries about anti-Semi2 tism, religious intolerance, and incitement to vi3 olence.


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1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 153

Welcoming His Excellency Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, on

the occasion of his visit to the United States in May 2005 and expressing

support for a strong and enduring strategic partnership between the

United States and Afghanistan.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 16, 2005

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. LANTOS, Mr.

FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey,

Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. PENCE, Mr.

MCCOTTER, and Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Welcoming His Excellency Hamid Karzai, the President of

Afghanistan, on the occasion of his visit to the United

States in May 2005 and expressing support for a strong

and enduring strategic partnership between the United

States and Afghanistan.

Whereas Afghanistan, a great nation located at the crossroads of many civilizations, has suffered the ravages of

war, foreign intervention, occupation, and oppression;

Whereas the Afghan people courageously resisted the decadelong occupation of their country by the former Soviet


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•HCON 153 IH

Union, forcing a Soviet withdrawal in 1989 and thereby

contributing to the end of the Cold War;

Whereas following the Soviet withdrawal, Afghanistan went

through a period of chaos and conflict, exacerbated by insufficient attention from the international community,

during which time the Taliban militia seized control of

much of the country and provided a base of operations

to Al Qaeda and other terrorist elements;

Whereas following the terrorist attacks of September 11,

2001, the United States launched Operation Enduring

Freedom, liberating the Afghan people from tyranny,

transforming Afghanistan from a haven for terrorists

into a strategic partner in the struggle against international terrorism, and helping Afghans build a democratic government;

Whereas the Afghan Constitution, drafted by a broadly representative Loya Jirga, or Grand Council, and enacted on

January 4, 2004, provides for equal rights for and full

participation of women, mandates full compliance with

international norms for human and civil rights, establishes procedures for free and fair elections, creates a system of checks and balances between the executive, legislative and judicial branches, encourages a free market

economy and private enterprise, and obligates the state

to prevent all types of terrorist activity and the production and trafficking of narcotics;

Whereas more than 10.5 million Afghan men and women

voted in national presidential elections in October 2004,

demonstrating commitment to democracy, courage in the

face of threats of violence, and a deep sense of civic responsibility;


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•HCON 153 IH

Whereas Hamid Karzai, formerly the interim President, was

elected to a five-year term as Afghanistan’s first democratically-elected President in the country’s history;

Whereas nationwide parliamentary elections are planned for

September 18, 2005, and further demonstrate the Afghan Government’s commitment to adhere to democratic

norms;

Whereas the Government of Afghanistan has demonstrated a

firm commitment to halting the cultivation and trafficking of narcotics and has cooperated fully with the

United States and its allies on a wide range of counternarcotics initiatives;

Whereas in addition to military and law enforcement operations, President Karzai welcomes the United States and

the international community to assist Afghanistan’s

counter-narcotics campaign by supporting programs to

provide alternative livelihoods for farmers, sustained economic development, and governmental and security capacity building;

Whereas recognizing that long-term political stability requires

sustained economic security, Afghanistan is striving to

create an economic base to provide meaningful livelihoods

for all of its people, and the United States has a cooperative interest in helping Afghanistan achieve this goal;

Whereas section 101(1) of the Afghanistan Freedom Support

Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 7511(1)) declares that the

‘‘United States and the international community should

support efforts that advance the development of democratic civil authorities and institutions in Afghanistan

and the establishment of a new broad-based, multi-ethnic,


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•HCON 153 IH

gender-sensitive, and fully representative government in

Afghanistan’’;

Whereas on June 15, 2004, during President Karzai’s visit

to the United States, President George W. Bush stated:

‘‘Afghanistan’s journey to democracy and peace deserves

the support and respect of every nation. . . . The world

and the United States stand with [the people of Afghanistan] as partners in their quest for peace and prosperity

and stability and democracy.’’;

Whereas on June 15, 2004, in his address to a joint meeting

of Congress, President Karzai stated: ‘‘We must build a

partnership that will consolidate our achievements and

enhance stability, prosperity and democracy in Afghanistan and in the region. This requires sustaining and accelerating the reconstruction of Afghanistan, through

long-term commitment. . . . We must enhance our strategic partnership. The security of our two nations are

intertwined.’’;

Whereas on April 13, 2005, while receiving the visiting

United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld,

President Karzai, in expressing the desire of the Afghan

people for a long-term strategic partnership with the

United States, stated: ‘‘They want this relationship to be

a wholesome one, including a sustained economic relationship, a political relationship, and most important of

all, a strategic security relationship that would enable Afghanistan to defend itself, to continue to prosper, to stop

interferences, the possibility of interferences in Afghanistan.’’; and

Whereas the people of the United States, and their elected

representatives, are honored to welcome President Karzai

back to the United States in May 2005 on a visit that


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•HCON 153 IH

will further advance the close partnership between the

United States and Afghanistan: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That—

3 (1) Congress welcomes the first democratically4 elected President of Afghanistan, His Excellency

5 Hamid Karzai, as an honored guest and valued

6 friend upon his visit to the United States in May

7 2005; and

8 (2) it is the sense of Congress that—

9 (A) a democratic, stable, and prosperous

10 Afghanistan is a vital security interest of the

11 United States; and

12 (B) a strong and enduring strategic part13 nership between the United States and Afghani14 stan should continue to be a primary objective

15 of both countries to advance a shared vision of

16 peace, freedom, security, and broad-based eco17 nomic development between the two countries

18 and throughout the world.

Æ


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Chairman HYDE. The Committee business meeting stands adjourned. 

I urge all Members to stay for the important hearing which will 

begin immediately. 

[Whereupon, at 10:40 a.m., the Committee proceeded to other 

business.]

Æ